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Men’s tennis heads to National Championships
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The Boise State men’s tennis squad has taken some tough defeats in the past two weeks.
After starting out of the gates hot with five wins, the Broncos have lost four straight.
All four losses came on the road, the first of which to No. 25 Texas A&M. BSU Head Coach Greg Patton explained that it was a devastating loss, but was not at all “life threatening.” The Broncos then failed to regroup, suffering three losses at UC Irvine, No. 8 UCLA, and No. 6 USC.
Coach Patton said the conditions for play in California were fantastic, but the outcome of matches were not going their way. Fluke shots that fell and a few tough match losses added up for a tough finish on the road.
All is not lost; the spring season is still very young. Coach Patton said he hopes his team will show the resiliency needed to bounce back.
“I think the confidence level is fine,” Coach Patton said. “I just think the team is a little dejected about a few of the losses and also losing Kean [Feeder], but I think that they’ll bounce back.”
With a few injuries and flu symptoms lingering, the indoor season has been nothing but a battle.
“We still got a few guys that are sick but we have an unbelievable opportunity banging at the door, and that’s the National Team Indoor Tournament,” Patton said.
The tournament will be held in Seattle, Wash., starting Friday and going through Monday, Feb. 18. Coach Patton said he has nothing but high expectations for the Broncos, despite being pitted against some of the best competition in the country.
“It’s like you can go to American Idol to do the auditions or you can be in the show,” Patton said, indicating the importance of making it to nationals. “Well this is the show.”
The Broncos will be tested right away with a meeting against No. 3 Ohio State.
“A chance at playing teams at the top is what we want,” Patton said. “We need some wins against teams in the top 10 to move up in the rankings. It’s a must.”
Following this match, win or lose, the crew will play either a No. 6 or No. 11 team, with a possible rematch against USC.
When asked about the possible rematch, Coach Patton said he feels round two could be more favorable for the Broncos.
“We have a great shot because we went down and played outdoors when we have been practicing indoors,” Patton said. “There’s a big difference.”
The Broncos like their chances on the indoor court and are expecting much better results than their past few matches.
“If we can just get healthy I think everything is going to be great,” Patton said. “But we’ve got to get a win in the first two matches we play because they are top 10 teams.”
Another change that might come to the squad is a mix-up in doubles.
“I might put the brothers [Luke and Clancy Shields] together and see what they can do.”
The Shields brothers are currently 3-3 in doubles this season.
When talking with Clancy about the trip to Seattle he said he is simply excited for the opportunity.
“We’re playing some great teams,” Shields said. “We start off with Ohio State where we can hopefully pull an upset.”
Shields also said he thinks BSU will have an advantage over some of the competition because the tournament is played indoors.
“We’re playing for high stakes this weekend,” Coach Patton said. “We’re playing for our program, our future and our season. This tournament is our chance to redeem ourselves. It’s a chance at rebirth. We’ve just got to develop greater resolve in us and hunker down and take care of business."
BRAD WEIGLE
Sports Writer